A BRIEF CHRONICLE OF A WRITER’S NOT-SO-BRIEF JOURNEY by RANDALL PLATT

March 30, 2023 | By Women Writers Women Books | Reply More

PROLOGUE

FROM THEN TO NOW

CHAPTER ONE

Picture this: A little girl sits in the back of the classroom, scared to death she’ll be called upon to read out loud. She’s a slow reader with a speedy imagination but remains quiet most of the time. If that scenario isn’t sad enough, along comes a new arithmetic chapter: the dreaded, horrible, confusing, hated . . . Story problems!

To wit: little Suzie’s mother asks her to go to the corner grocery store for her. She gives her a list – eggs, bread, and milk – and a five-dollar bill. If these items cost this, this, and this, how much change will Suzie bring home? (Remember, it was a LONG time ago!)

“Well,” thinks that little girl at the back of the classroom, “What if little Suzie gets mugged on the way to the store? What if little Suzie owes her bookie five bucks? What if little Suzie lifts the eggs, bread, and milk and adds the five bucks to her growing savings account for a horse? What if, what if, what if? These might be story problems to arithmetic teachers, but they were real story problems to shy, slow-reader Randall.

CHAPTER TWO

Picture this: a girl in the fifth grade starts to crack her shell of shyness and decides she will blossom beyond all expectations and become an actress. All will be right in Randall’s world if only she can get herself to Hollywood and conquer the movie world by acting out, what else? story problems. But how does a short, shy, day-dreamy girl get from a small town in Oregon to Hollywood? Stuff Kleenex in her sweater and hang around the corner drug store? Hitchhike? Highjack a bus?

Aside: Milton Beryl once said if opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.

So, that’s what I, Randall, did. But the only tools I had were a pen and paper, an overactive imagination, and probably more brass than a girl my age should have had. I started writing teleplays following TV Guide-ish scenarios of early television shows.

To wit and at risk of dating myself:

—- A small, troublesome but adorable girl with a compulsive gambling problem makes Bret’s life a living hell in Maverick.

—- A mouthy little orphan girl crossing the plains teaches Indian scout Flint McCullough an important life lesson in Wagon Train.

—- A deaf mute daughter of a slain gunslinger prevents an Indian raid on Have Gun Will Travel.

And the sure-to-snag-an Emmy winner – The tomboy daughter of Ben Cartright – from a fourth marriage he apparently has forgotten all about – brings new life to the Ponderosa on Bonanza. (Recurring role.)

Let me review the adjectives: troublesome, mouthy, mute, little, orphaned, tomboy – These adjectives of theatrical angst pretty much summed up this budding writer. Yes, I did write up these scripts (in dreadful long hand) and sent them off with a letter saying ‘good news Mr. Producer Man, no worries about next week’s episode and I will play the guest role myself – no charge.’ The exception of course, was the Bonanza gig. That was going to be a regular role and would require a move to California, a tutor, a publicity agent, and of course, my pick of any horse on the Ponderosa spread.

It may not surprise you to learn that all I ever got back from the studios were mimeographed ‘thanks for writing’ letters. Once I got a postcard.

Little was I to realize then, but surely realize now, those were my first rejection letters.

CHAPTER THREE

Well, since that cheesy, self-aggrandizing ploy didn’t work, I figured if I planned on being an actress, perhaps I should, well, learn to act. Which I did. But before long, I was tweaking my character’s lines, arguing with fellow actors and directors about motivation and realistic dialog. My so-called acting ‘career’ didn’t last too long. Fortunately, and in just enough time to save my reputation and perhaps theater in general, it finally hits me: All along, all those years, I wasn’t trying to be an actress. I was trying to be a writer.

CHAPTER FOUR

Since then, it’s taken several decades and ‘real’ jobs, three literary agents, six training novels (which never sold, thank God!) and no less than two-hundred rejection letters (which I still get) to be where I am today, which is still on a writer’s journey – beginning at four in the morning, seven days a week.

EPILOGUE

What a journey! And definitely not

THE END

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